Homemade Hummus

There are jokes and memes about vegans and hummus for a reason. We like it, we eat a lot of it, and if you ever attend a vegan potluck, you should expect to see approximately one container of hummus for every three people in attendance. It happens: occasionally we live up to the stereotypes.

Of course you don’t have to be vegan (yet 😉 ) to enjoy hummus.

It’s been popularized as a dip for bread, crackers, or crudités, but it can be so much more. You can slather it on sandwiches or wraps, add it to your avocado toast, dollop it on bowls or salads, dilute it into a dressing, or eat it straight up with a spoon (or your fingers if you’re a certain, less-discerning 3 year-old). Not only is it versatile, it’s both delicious and nourishing. Could you ask for more?

Fortunately for hummus-aficionados everywhere, you can pick up a container basically anywhere these days. Unfortunately for the convenience-inclined, I’m about to ruin that for you. Once you’ve had homemade hummus, it will be challenging to bring yourself to purchase the dense, pasty pre-packaged stuff in any but the most dire of circumstances. #sorrynotsorry

The homemade hummus recipe below yields a light, bright, fluffy chickpea and tahini puree. To its credit, this version is straightforward—fabulous and flavorful as is, even-keeled enough that it fits well among a range of dishes, but also wide open for customization. Do you like a little cumin in yours? Add it! You could also pulse in some lemon zest, olives, smoked paprika or chipotle, nooch, extra garlic (roasted even!), whatever strikes your fancy to make it your own.

This recipe comes together quickly and doubles and freezes well. I definitely suggest doubling it; you may not actually get to the freezing part. It’s a weekday meal and snack time staple for us as well as one of the first things I add to the menu whenever we’ll be hosting a crowd. And while it’s sort of an obvious choice for picnics or potlucks, this homemade hummus is certain to stand above the purchased containers…which may be particularly plentiful if you’re among certain *coughvegancough* crowds.

This light, fluffy homemade hummus might just ruin you for store-bought. Luckily it's quick and easy to make, using only simple, healthful plant-based ingredients. Double batching is highly recommended.

Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained (reserve aquafaba*)

½ cup tahini

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic

1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt (or to taste)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Add ⅓ cup of the reserved aquafaba.

Puree until very creamy and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the bowl periodically as needed. Add more liquid if desired to achieve preferred consistency, noting that the hummus will thicken up a bit when refrigerated. Will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.